Sept. 27 - 29, 2002 - Fall Camp-O-Ree

Leave No Trace Awareness Award

Our Fall Camp-O-Ree offered our Scouts an experience in putting into practice the Leave No Trace (LNT) camping principles. These principles can be found in the Scout Handbook. More information about LNT can be found at the LNT website www.lnt.org.

The camp-o-ree provided an opportunity for the Scouts to backpack into several areas of the camp, carrying all the equipment and food necessary for the weekend. This outing was significantly different from our past camping experiences. There were no dutch ovens or patrol kits or charcoal or campfires. We used backpacking stoves, backpacks, lightweight food and tents. We left the trailer at home and everything we used for the weekend we carried.

The agenda for the weekend enabled each participant to fulfill the requirements of the LNT award. Here's how the weekend went:

Friday night, the troop arrived at the Scouting Museum at D-A and after checking in, hiked, with all our equipment, to a campsite about a mile from check in. We set up tents, had a snack of dried apples, put the food in "bear bags," and hit the sack. Some slept in tents, some under the stars, and the 3 adult leaders in a lean-to made from a 10 x 20 ft tarp, 2 hiking staffs, and some rope. We were one of about 15 troops attending the camp-o-ree.
Saturday morning, we packed up camp, had our breakfast, and hiked to the new High Adventure Pavilion just over 2 miles away to work on a conservation project.
Following this, we hiked another half mile to the Lang pavilion where we had lunch and worked on more LNT requirements.
After a quick game of frisbee, we donned our backpacks, hiked to the next campsite about a mile away and set up camp again.
The scouts spent the afternoon working on skits and playing ultimate frisbee in the four-foot-high grass!
Saturday night brought a LNT "campfire" (actually four propane lanterns) with songs, skits, jokes, and even a ukulele performance (that's a small Hawaiian guitar)!
Sunday we broke camp and gathered one last time with the other troops for a Scout's Own service and closing ceremonies.
We then backpacked another mile back to the Scouting Museum, where we had started, and set up camp one last time.
After verifying the campsite was completely set up, we put it all back in our packs, climbed into the vehicles and headed for home.

The scouts learned a lot about backpacking and the Leave No Trace camping principles. Everyone enthusiastically said they enjoyed the weekend. They liked the backpacking and getting to see areas of the camp they had not been to before. They also got a little taste of what it's like at Philmont High Adventure Camp, where eight of the scouts and four adults will be going next summer.

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